Hand lantern



Aug. 6, 1935. A. c. KORTE 2,010,089

Filed Feb. 26, 1934 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 ALFRED c. KORVTE INVENTOR A TTORNE Y Aug 6, 1935. A K RTE 2,010,089

HAND LANTERN Filed Feb. 26, 1934 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 2 ALFRED C. KORTE INVENTOR BYW /Q A TTORNEY Aug. 6, 1935. A K RTE 2,010,089

HAND LANTERN Filed Feb. 26, 1934 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIG. 7

\ ALFRED c. KORTE INVENTOR WK 5% I A TTORNE Y Patented Aug. 6, 1935 Alfred C. Korte, S t.'IQouis, Mo.,assign or to Metab, craft Corporation,,$t. Louis, Mo.', a corporation of Missouri Application; February 26, 1934, Serial No. 712,973

13 clai s. .(Cl. 240f110.63)

This invention relates to improvements in battery operated electric lanterns and more particularly to lanterns which may either be carried in the hand or set upon a table. In previous devices of this character a number of dry cells crime flash light battery type have been loaded into a container which was provided with "an electric light bulb and a switch in such a'manner that the current from the batteries was carried to the switch thru the coverand base of the casing. This set up resulted in electrolytic action between the cover and base of the casing, particularly at the joint where the two are telescoped together. This electrolytic action resulted in corrosion and frequently in a bad circuit connection at this point; If the casing was painted it was necessary to scrape away the paint at the point where the cover slides into the base. The necessity of scraping away the paint gave rise to various ob vious difiiculties, one of which was the concentration of the corrosion at one point. i An object of this invention is to provide an electric hand lantern of anew and improved typein which the cover and the base of the battery casing do not both form a part of the circuit.

A further object of the invention is toprovide an electric hand lantern having a battery casing having two parts adapted to be telescoped-to' gether and which do not have to be in electrical contact. v

A further object of thisinvention is to provide a generally new and improved hand lantern. Other objects will appear from the following description and accompanying drawings, refer ring to which: l

Figure 1 shows a side elevation of the lantern according to my invention.

Figure 2 shows a sectional elevation of the Iantern according to my invention. 1

Figure 3 shows a sectional elevation of the top portion only of the lantern, the section being taken along the lines 33 of Figure. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional elevation of the lantern taken along the lines 4- 4 ofaFigure 5. v

Figure 5 is a sectional plan view of the lantern with the batteries removed, the section being taken along lines 5-5 of Figure 2 looking in'the direction of the arrows.

Figure 6 is an inverted sectional plan view taken along the lines 6-6 of Figure 2 looking in the direction of the arrows. l

Figure 7 is a plan view of the central contact member. I

Figure'8 is a side elevation of the central contact memberb f The reference numeral I indicates the battery casing which is telescopically mounted on a base -2 which isprovided with a stand 3so that the device may be set on a'table to be used as a table lamp if desired; The above described parts are preferably formed'of sheet metal and may be painted if-"desired as there isno" necessity for securing an electrical contact" between theseparts. base is provided with a lower insulating gasket 4 which is periorated'in the center as indicated at 5 'toreceive the central part of an electric light bul b" 6 "The threaded base of the bulb is screwed into a ren-uier which is riveted into the base otthe lamp as indicated in Figure 2. 5 A reflectort is held iri position by the ferrule 1.

The upper insulating jwasher 9 together with the lower insulatingwasher isheld in assembled relation with the. base means of the rivets ID. A central contact member I' l, formed as indicated in Figures? and 8, is mountedbetween the upper and lower. insulatingwashersandlhas a pair of lugs I2 which extendiupwardly thru a pair'of correspondingi sli'ts [3 ;in, the upper insulating washer and are bent outward yto a horizontal position above the upper insulating washer as indicated inFigure 511 The. central terminal of the electric lightbulb contacts with the member ll and the lugsserveascontacts for the bases ofthe batteries I41. Thebatteries are held in position .byfmeans offthe separating partition l5 which are formed of two Vshaped strips of sheet metal. The center of the V is flattened out so that the twofpieces willmakecontact with each other when ithey arepressed into place. The ends of the Vfs "are provided with outwardly turned flanges, 16, which resiliently contact with the outer casing I so that the separating partition will be rigidly held in place by'irictioniwithout the necessity for spot-welding or riveting, although this may also be done ifdesi rejd. j U

Both the upper and lower insulating washers are perforated-in two places as indicated at' l 1 and a'pair oibosses l8 areformed. on the upper side of the-base, to extend 'thru andproject slightly beyond the openings 11 so as to. form contacts for the central terminal of a pair of batteries as indicated in Figure 4. It may be noted that the centralterminals ofthe batteries may, if desired, rest on the lugs l2 and the bases of the other pair-of batteries may rest on the bosses l8 as long as the batteries are so arranged as to be in series. I

The. upper part ofthebattery casing l is provided with an insulating disc 19 which is held in position on the closed end of the casing by means of suitable rivets 20. A pair of contact members 2| are riveted to the insulating disc by means of rivets 22. Each of the contact members 2| is provided with a pair of spring contact members extending downwardly at an angle into the battery casing to contact the central terminals or bases of the batteries according to the way in which they may be inserted. Each contactmember 2| is provided with an extension 23 which extends upwardly thru a slit 24 in the disc 19, and is then turned to a horizontal position.

The switch comprises a device for establishing an electrical connection between "the 'extensions 23. To this end a flexible contact member 25 is riveted to the insulating disc 19 by means of one of the same rivets :22 which hold one of the contact members 2|. The free .end of the contact member 25 may bend downwardly and touch both of the extensions 23 of the contact member 2| so as to establish an electrical-connection therebetween. An insulating member '26 is mounted on top of the flexible member 15 and is preferably held in position by the rivets 22. The rear end of the contact member 25 is bent downwardly as indicated at 2?! and extends thru a corresponding slit in the [insulating \disc I 9 to assure its remaining in perating position and not rotating about the rivets :22.

The member 28 forms :theoperating handle for the switch which is slidably mounted :on me closed end of the container 1. The member 28 is provided with a pair .of lugs .29 which extend downwardly thru acorrespondingslit-in the cover and are bent over :to secure the member .28 to the lower switchmember .30 which :is provided with a downwardly turned cam .member 3L A suitable indentation .or inwardly extending boss 32 serves as a:detent.for the .lefthand-endof the member 39 indicated in Figure .3 which is provided with ,a ,suitablylcurved end to .slidesover the stop .and beheld in position thereby .so that the switch will remain .in either on or oil position. A ,washen33 preferablylmade.ofgraphite paper :or .other anti-v-iriction material .is provided to assistin keeping rain water .from entering the opening thru which the lugs .29 extend. .In case any watershould enter the casingsu'itable open ings 4-3.4 are provided in the base. to "drain .it out.

.The casing .l is provided with aibale 35 which is pivotally attached thereto bylmeans or rivets 36 attached to the bosses 3 which are formed .on .each .side of the casing. .The casing I telescopes into ithelbasej as previously describedand is held in assembled relation by meansvof bayonet slots '38. Any number of bayonetslots are used, but'iif more than two slots .are used they should be unequally spaced aroundthe periphery of the cas'ingso :that the individual battery .com- ,par'tments 39 as defined by the partition I15 will not come in the wrong relation to the contact members l2 .and the bosses 1'8.

-In operation either 'two or four f-batteries may be loaded into the compartment '39, provided, however, that one 'battery at "least should be in one :of the upper compartments with respect to Figure so that one of its terminals will contact with one of the "members 12 and another battery should be in 'one of the lower compartments with reference to Figure *5 so that one of its :conta-ct members will be in contact with one of the bosses 1'8. Also if the central "terminal of 'a battery contacts with the member 2 then the base of the other battery must contact with the boss 48 and vice'Versa, so to-establis'h a series connection thru the member I l, the central terminal of the light bulb, the filament, the base of the bulb, the ferrule 1, the base of the container and the boss l8. Having fitted the batteries into the compartments 39, the resilient members 21 contact with the upper end or terminals of the batteries and when the switch operating member 28 is moved to the left with respect :to Figure 3, the contact member is pressed downwardly to form a connection between the .members 23 and the circuit is completed.

I claim:

1. In a device of the class described, a base member, a flange, an upper insulating washer, a lower insulating washer, a contact member "mounted between said insulating washer, said base member and lower insulating washer being lPI'OVidBd'Wlt'h openings thru which the base of an electric light bulb may extend, said contact member extending upwardly thru said upper insulating washer tocontact with the baseof abattery, andrivets passing thru said upper and lower insulating members, said base and said stand to hold said parts in assembled relation.

:2. in a device of the class described, a sheet metal base member, upper and lower insulating washers mounted on said base member, registering openings insaid base member and the lower insulating washer, a contact member having a portion mounted between said insulating washers andexp'osed to said opening, saidcontact member having another portion-extending upwardly thru said upper insulating washer and being bent over to forma battery-contact, registering openings in said insulating washers and aboss formed in said basemember and extending upwardly thru said registering openings to form a batterycontact.

3. .In a :device of the class described, a sheet metal-basemember having acentral opening and a pair of upwardly extending bosses, a lower insulating washer having an opening registering with the:opening in said-base member-and other openings registering with said bosses, an upper insulating washer mounted-onsaid lower insulating washer, 'a:contact member having a :portion extending thru and above said upper insulating washer, and another portion between said upper and ilOWGl' insulating washers, said bosses'andsaid contact member being adapted toengage battery terminals.

4. In a'device of the class described, a casing divided-into fourcompartmentseach of said com part-merits being adapted to receive a battery, a base for said casing, means for connecting said base with the batteries in two of said compartments, a contact member carried by said base and insulated therefrom, means for connecting said contact member with the terminals of the batteries in the other two of said compartments, an electric *light bulb mounted in said base and having .a :central terminal in contact with said .contact member.

5. In a device of the class described, a casing divided into iiourcompartments each of said compartments being adapted to receive a battery, a base for said casing, means for connecting said :base with the batteries in two of said compartments, a contact member carried by said base and insulated therefrom, means for connecting said contact member with the terminals of the batteries in the other two of said compartments, an electric light bulb mounted in :said base and having a central terminal in contact with said contact member, and means for electrically connecting the upper terminals of said batteries.

6. In a device of the class described, a casing divided into four compartments each of said compartments being adapted to receive a battery, a

base for said casing, means for connecting said base with a terminal of each of the batteries in two of said compartments, a contact member carried by said base and insulated therefrom, means for connecting said contact member with a terminal of each of the batteries in the other two of said compartments, an electric light bulb mounted in said base and having a central terminal in contact with said contact member, and means for electrically connecting the upper terminals of said batteries, said means serving to establish a circuit thru said light bulb regardless of whether two or four batteries are installed in said compartments.

7. In an electric hand lantern, a casing, an insulating disc mounted in the upper part of said casing, a pair of contact members carried by said insulating disc, each of said contact members having a downwardly extending contact portion adapted to contact with a terminal or a battery, each of said contact members having another contact portion extending upwardly thru said disc and switch means for electrically connecting the contact portion above said disc.

.8. In an electric hand lantern, a battery casing, an insulating disc mounted in the upper part of said casing, a pair of contact members carried by said insulating disc, each of said contact members having a battery contacting portion extending below said disc and a switch contacting portion extending thru and above said switch, a flexible switch portion carried by said disc, a slidable operating member carried by the cover of said casing, said operating member being adapted to move said switch member into contact with both of said contact members to form an electrical connection therebetween.

9. In an electric hand lantern, a casing having four battery compartments, an insulating disc in the upper part of said casing, a pair of contact members carried by said insulating disc, each of said contact members having a contact portion extending into two of said battery compartments and adapted to contact a terminal of the battery therein, said two contact members being normally insulated from each other and a switch mounted on the cover of said casing for establishing contact between said two contact members.

10. In an electric hand lantern, a sheet metal battery casing, an insulating disc mounted in the upper end of said casing, a pair of contact members carried by said insulating disc, each of said contact members having a portion adapted to contact the terminals of one or more batteries and another portion adapted to contact a switch member, a flexible switch member carried by said insulating disc and adapted to form an electrical connection between said contact members, a slidable member mounted on the battery casing for operating said switch member, and means for insulating said switch member from said slidable member.

11. In a device of the class described, a casing divided into four compartments, each of said compartments being adapted to receive a battery, means for connecting said casing with the batteries in two of said compartments, a contact member insulated from said casing, means for connecting said contact member with one of the terminals of each of the batteries in the other two of said compartments, an electric light bulb having a central terminal in contact with said contact member, means for connecting the other terminals of said batteries, and means for connecting and disconnecting the circuit.

12. In a device of the class described, a casing divided into four compartments, each of said compartments being adapted to receive a battery, a base for said casing, means for connecting said base with the batteries in two of said compartments, a contact member insulated from said base, means for connecting said contact .member with one of the terminals of each or the batteries in the other two of said compartments, an electric light bulb mounted in said base and having a central terminal in contact with said contact member, means for connecting the other terminals of said batteries, and means for connecting and disconnecting the circuit.

13. In a device of the class described, a casing divided into four compartments each of said compartments being adapted to receive a battery, means for connecting said casing with a terminal of each of the batteries in two of said compartments, a contact member carried by said casing and insulated therefrom, means for connecting said contact member with a terminal of each of the batteries in the other two of said compartments, an electric light bulb mounted in said casing and having a central terminal in contact with said contact member, and means for electrically connecting the upper terminals of saidbatteries, said means serving to establish a circuit thru said light bulb regardless of whether two or four batteries are installed in said compartments.

ALFRED C. KORTE. 

